Oppenheimer viewer spots historical error

Following Oppenheimer's global theatrical release, one moviegoer spotted a minor historical error.

Andrew Craig, director of Election Policy at the Joseph Rainey Center and adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, pointed out that 50-star flags are used in a scene that takes place in 1945. The scene in particular sees Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) address the residents of Los Alamos, who are celebrating after a 'successful' detonation of the Trinity bomb. The correct flag flies behind Oppenheimer in another celebratory scene just before this.

"No need to count," Craig explained further, clarifying why it was easy to spot. "The pattern’s different. Staggered rows vs. grid arrangement."

In 1945, the American Flag only featured 48 stars – as Alaska and Hawaii had yet to become part of the United States. The US flew the first-ever 50-star flag in 1960. 

"I can argue that this is done intentionally as the colored scenes were from Oppenheimer's perspective, while the black and white scenes were from another. This would be a memory of Oppenheimer from his present-day memory which does have 50 states on the flag," one Twitter user theorized.

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's three-hour historical epic, scored $174 million in its first weekend against a budget of $100 million and is already getting plenty of Oscar buzz. We don't think the flag mix-up will take it out of the running.

Oppenheimer is in theaters now. For more, check out our Christopher Nolan discussing Oppenheimer's R Rating, our interview with Emily Blunt, and why Barbie and Oppenheimer make the perfect double bill.